


Talk to Me

by MissFiction



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Origins
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, No Warnings, Pre-Relationship, Romantic Friendship, essentially a teeny little warm up drabble...., except it got out of hand sorry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-14
Updated: 2015-07-14
Packaged: 2018-04-09 09:43:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,047
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4343657
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MissFiction/pseuds/MissFiction
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Alistair contemplates his changing relationship with the Warden feat. Evelyn Cousland.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Talk to Me

They didn't spend a lot of time by themselves anymore, Alistair and Evelyn. Not since their merry little band of misfits had doubled and subsequently tripled in size. But that was the whole point of this; to garner support for their cause. To defeat Loghain and the Blight all in one fell swoop. It wasn't that Alistair minded, necessarily, that Evelyn had less time to spend with him... and just with him. There were so many people around all the time now. But he was happy to see the young woman adjusting to life as a Warden. He was happy to see her still making friends, and to be working together in this whole mess even if it was not exactly what he anticipated either.

She was stunning, truly, Alistair had to marvel at her. She would never let anything get her down even though there was so much in her life that could have hardened her. She hadn't exactly known what she had been getting in to when she fled her birthplace and chased after Duncan, after all. He found the light in her inspiring, and was perfectly content to take her lead. But despite himself he did sort of miss their personal conversations from when it had just been the two of them, keeping each other sane during their long journey on the road. She had little time for issues unrelated to diplomacy these days, between the Blight and their new companions.

He wasn't quite sure where he fit in the mix; she had expressed romantic interest in him but that was before Leliana had joined their party... Evelyn had been clearing quite a bit of time to spend with the rogue bard. It wasn't that he was jealous that everyone else was getting so much of her time recently... okay, so it was, but he was only human.

He eyed her speaking quietly with the aforementioned redheaded bard on the other side of the fire pit, trying to hide his quiet interest by sharpening his sword. From his distance he couldn't help but note the way the orange light complimented Evelyn's red hair. She had taken it out of its usual braids and allowed it to fall down her back when she'd gone to bathe, presumably in the small lake they'd found while setting up their camp. He tried not to pursue that line of thought too closely.

It was only moments of observation later when he realized that Leliana was watching him as well. Alistair froze, glancing behind him casually to make sure her gaze was trained on him. When her smug little grin only widened when he cast his eyes briefly back to hers, he turned his eyes down to his sword and kept it there. He felt his face grow hot, and even hotter when he heard Evelyn's laugh in response to something Leliana had whispered. Daring to peek one more time, he saw Evelyn hiding her flushing face against her palms.

“Well,” she said suddenly as she stretched her arms high over her head, “I do believe this is about as late as I can manage. I'm going to turn in. Zevran, you should come speak to me before you retire. Soon, if you don't mind.”

Alistair started, not realizing the elf had also been sitting a little ways away watching the three humans from the comfort of a nearby tree.

“Of course, my lady,” the elf said, in that sultry tone of his. Alistair fought to keep his eyes down lest the whole camp mock him for this blush he couldn't shake. He watched Zevran's feet stroll by and pretended not to hear the whispered words of luck and the winkthe elf fired his way.

Evelyn bid them both good night. He didn't say a word. The last thing he needed was to embarrass himself further and have the group to draw _Morrigan's_ attention from the other side of the field. Not that he had any delusions that she would _care_ , but it would lead to some scathing commentary when they hit the road again at daylight and it certainly was not like he was looking to give her anything more to mock him with.

Suddenly they were alone. When Alistair finally felt like he could raise his eyes without suffering intense mortification, he noted that their whole party had inexplicably slipped away. Even Sten, who was known to have no courtesy for social graces. He felt the hair on the back of his neck prickle, and turned towards Evelyn to break the silence between them. Her blue eyes were trained to him, peering at him curiously over her knees which she had tucked against herself. Whatever he had been going to say withered away in his throat. His heart hammered against his ribcage. He could not recall a time where he had had her undivided attention since before Redcliffe.

“How have you been?” she asked quietly. He shrugged. Then cringed. He hadn't wanted to seem like a petulant child, jealous that her attentions had been invested elsewhere, but he couldn't help but feel like everything he did pointed her in that direction anyways.

She shuffled closer to him, until she was perched on the same log he leaned against. He laid his sword down at his side and leaned towards her when her hand laid down on his bare arm. Alistair hoped she did not notice the shiver her skin against his caused. “It's been long few days, huh? Wolves, talking trees, more wolves, _werewolves..._ ”

He couldn't help but chuckle at that, and he didn't miss her relieved smile. Perhaps she had thought him angry with her? “It has been particularly trying, hasn't it?”

They fell quiet again. She shuffled down and closer one more time, until their thighs were practically flush together, and leaned her head on his shoulder. He dared to snake an arm around her and just sat in each others company.

“Leliana said you were watching us,” she said. Alistair felt horror rise in his throat. He was foolish to believe anything escaped the bard's notice. When he didn't say anything she continued, “I know we've been pretty busy, but I felt badly. That I hadn't checked in on you recently. I almost can't believe how many people are joining the cause, you know? I keep saying the Blight is a worthy cause that should draw people together, and I _believe_ it with everything in me, but I still find it crazy that people are following us.”

_"You_ ," Alistair corrected, rubbing her arm affectionately. “They're following you. I'm just here for the atmosphere. And the free food.”

She didn't say anything to that, but smiled at his joke anyways.

“...I wanted to say thank you,” she said carefully.

He laughed out loud at that, “ _Thank_ me? Now I know you've gone mad.”

“No, seriously. Everything has gone wrong since... Howe betrayed us. My family is gone. Fergus is still missing. Darkspawn are literally crawling all over the countryside. Even though joining the Warden's was not... _quite_ the kind of adventure I expected, it led me to you. I'm so glad that it is _you_ doing this with me. I don't think I could have done this with anyone else. So, ah...” She paused, and he couldn't help but laugh despite her deeply serious gaze. Evelyn was perhaps the best speaker he knew, and here she was talking in circles around herself. “I just wanted to thank you. I appreciate everything you've done so far, I know it hasn't been easy. I hope you'll stay.”

Alistair smiled and pulled her tighter against him by her shoulder. “I swear, you'll be regretting that soon enough! You couldn't be rid of me if you tried!”

“Oof! You're crushing me!” she laughed, pushing him away halfheartedly. Her serious tone faded and she returned to her playful self.

He lifted her into his lap and hugged her even closer, if possible. She was so warm; and she allowed herself to rest perfectly against him. Tension melted away as they just clung to each other for a few moments. Quiet minutes were a blessing. Her arms circled around him too, and he was satisfied to feel her cheeks heat up against his neck. They just held each other for a few moments. Alistair was fairly certain he could hear Leliana talking excitedly somewhere in the distance but Evelyn did not move so neither did he.

They had been dancing around these feelings between them for months. A lingering touch here, a flirtatious comment there. Endless mockery and teasing. Yet neither one of them would take the plunge. It hardly seemed like the time if he was honest, but _Maker_ did he want to...

After another pause her voice, muffled against the collar of his shirt, asked him, “So you're alright? If you want anything you know you don't have to wait around for me, right? Be a little proactive. You can approach me with _anything._ ”

He hesitated. She was essentially the light in his life right now, and it was frightening that she could influence him so strongly. She didn't know the depth of what he was feeling for her yet, nor did he know precisely how she felt in return, but he didn't want to push his luck or his burdens upon her... he just wanted to be near her sometimes. Was that too much to ask of a woman you were not in a relationship with? Damn his inexperience.

He supposed he would _never_ find out if he didn't take her advice now.

“Do... you think you could maybe just talk to me? I know you don't always have time, but...” He chewed his lip nervously, “I don’t care about _what_ you say, I just want to hear your voice?"

She leaned back abruptly and he slid his hand down her back to compensate for the shifting of weight so she wouldn't topple over with the force of the motion. He was tempted to use the position to place his hand on the back of her neck and guide her back down to his lips... until he caught sight of the look on her face. Evelyn's eyes searched his, wide with what seemed to be something akin to shock. His mind was reeling, and his heart felt like it was finally going to burst straight out of his chest. But her smile; he was instantly reassured. A curl of her lips in a radiant grin suggested not only was she pleased that he had missed her company, but that she was delighted with the idea as a whole.

“It has been ages since we talked, just you and I, hasn't it!” Those blue eyes gazed down at him in warm wonder, and her cheeks flushed just as red as he was sure his were.

Alistair nodded mutely, rendered dumb by her excitement over the fact that he wished to spend time with her. Was she insane? Everyone who met her wanted to spent more time with the young Warden. It was practically a competition to get to spend time with their leader.

She kissed his cheek and declared him the sweetest man, much to his chagrin. First he was _cute_ and now this? Would the embarrassments never cease?

Then Evelyn took her arms away from his neck but settled back against his chest so she could still look at him. For his part, Alistair was content that she was in his vicinity. This would be enough, for now. He could worry about confessions and love later, for now her companionship was what he really craved.

Only now he was sure he could hear not only Leliana _and_ Zevran, but now _Wynne_ had come to see what the fuss was about. _Maker, he was surely going to hear about this in the morning. And the day after that. Probably for the rest of the whole damned Blight._

But it would be worth the trouble, if he got to spend time with her again. 

“Alright,” she grinned. “then let's talk. Let me tell you the story Leliana told me earlier. It'd be better hearing it from her of course, but I might do it justice. I'm interested in your opinion...”

 

**Author's Note:**

> Just a little warm-up type thing. Figured I might as well post it;; Just dipping my toe into the Dragon Age fandom, so to speak. I just finished Origins, very excited to binge the rest of the series~


End file.
